Album: The Summerlands – Bonfante Gardens Forever
In the new indie punk symphony, songwriter Grant Simmons ruminates on how to grapple with an increasingly inhospitable hometown and more unwelcoming world.
Month: August 2026
Single: Charlie Gearon – Need You More
Charlie delivers a low-key masterpiece; a love song shrouded in self-doubt, hesitation, and heartbreaking longing that takes us into a spiritualized other dimension.
EP: Eyes and Legs – Gravel
Eyes and Legs’ hits with the weight of a band twice its size, and for a sophomore EP, ‘Gravel’ feels incredibly mature.
Single: Absolutely Yours – Margaret
Collins voice is soft and deliberate, and the way she articulates her words sounds great on the brain.
Single: Doc Turbo – Criminal
Crisp horns and fun narrative storytelling with the vocals. This is a song about falling in love in a spin on the storytelling of The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” where the story tells of a series of dates and every night the protagonist feels a little more in love”.
Single: Beach Vacation – In Control
I still remember the first time I discovered BV on our blog. I wrote, “I
Singles: Khamsin – Thousand Yard Stare / Abacus
The Nashville emo quartet add a new wrinkle to their arsenal as they unleash this dynamic, energetic tour de force double single.
Single: Shredded Sun – Cruel Streak
Invoking the spirit of punk, Chicago trio Shredded Sun tackle grudging emotions with ‘Cruel Streak’.
Single: ELIKSA – Only a Matter of Time
In their new single, the artist Eliksa channels a new wave sensibility that feels like it was shot straight out of a previous decade.
Album: Welcome Strawberry – desperate flowers / desperate flowers remixes
This rad groove is audaciously implanted into a mix of opposite aesthetics
Single: Count The Clock – Ballerina Song
. For a project that draws from shoegaze, baroque pop, and outsider music, there is a lot of interesting sonic territory to explore, and “Ballerina Song” hints at the potential without fully stepping into it.
Single: Mutiny – Anthem
Mutiny remains one of the most creative and hardcore of all bands in the ska